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SRSG Coomaraswamy. 28 August 2009. Recommendations: All parties are called upon to abide by applicable international law and to comply as a matter of priority with the resolutions of the Security Council on children and armed conflict and to halt the grave violations against children for which they have been cited. The Government of Colombia is also called upon to comply with the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the recommendations made by States within the Universal Periodic Review and recommendations made by the special procedures established by the Human Rights Council, as they relate to children affected by armed conflict. The continued recruitment and use of children by illegal armed groups is a critical concern, and the parties are called upon to comply with no further delay with international law and the provisions of Security Council resolutions on children and armed conflict and to prepare and implement action plans to ensure that no children are recruited and that all children associated with armed forces or groups in any capacity are immediately identified and released. All parties should also make and implement specific commitments and prepare action plans, as appropriate, to address other grave violations for which they have been cited. I commend the efforts of the Government to address the recruitment and use of children by illegal armed groups, and the authorities are urged to continue efforts to develop a comprehensive national policy for the prevention of child recruitment and also to strengthen community-based reintegration and family reunification programmes. The Government is urged to ensure that the national armed forces comply fully with the prohibitions against the use of children for military intelligence purposes and the interrogation of children who have been separated from illegal armed groups. Such children should be handed over to the civilian authorities as soon as possible after their separation and within the time limit stipulated under law. Illegal armed groups are urged to stop the use of anti-personnel mines, which cause the death and maiming of significant numbers of children. I am deeply concerned at the continued rape and other forms of sexual violence, in particular against girls, that is perpetrated mainly by illegal armed groups. I call upon them to make commitments and prepare and implement action plans to prevent such violence. The Government is urged to place emphasis on the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators and to strengthen prevention and response strategies. I am concerned at the attacks against and occupation of schools by parties to the conflict and call upon them to cease such actions and to facilitate unhindered and safe access for child protection and humanitarian personnel. The Government is urged, in the context of national legislation, including the Justice and Peace Law, to further enhance efforts to combat impunity for grave violations committed against children. This measure should include the timely, rigorous and systematic investigation and prosecution of all such crimes and the sharing of information on follow-up of cases. I also encourage the effective protection of child witnesses and victims and provision of reparations, as appropriate. The cases of extrajudicial executions of children are a grave concern, and the Government is called upon to implement, as a matter of priority, measures to eliminate that practice. The Government is urged to ensure that humanitarian demining programmes are in line with international standards, that appropriate attention is afforded to child victims, and that mine-risk education programmes are in place. I am concerned at the linkages among child recruitment, sexual violence, the presence of landmines and the problem of internal displacement in Colombia which affect larger numbers of children. The Government is urged to ensure a more comprehensive approach for the provision of assistance and the implementation of programmes for the prevention of child displacement, with particular emphasis on its causes. The Government is also urged to consider curtailing the involvement of children in civil-military activities that may place them at risk of retaliation by illegal armed groups. Recognizing that the protection of children is best served by peace, all parties are called upon to strive for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and, in the context of any future negotiations with illegal armed groups, the Government is urged to include specific provisions for the protection of children in consequent agreements, including the unconditional release of all children. The donor community is invited to provide additional support to national programmes and initiatives that enhance the protection of children and also to support the initiatives of United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations, including for more effective monitoring and advocacy, and other child protection programmes. (paragraphs 82 to 95)